OUTLINE:
Conscience
“conscience” = con + science = with + knowledge; means to know oneself; a person’s good conscience is based on data; it is not the source of data; rather, it is especially equipped to judge right from wrong.
“their conscience bearing witness”
God has inserted a conscience in mankind that innately responds to God’s law. For example, except for psychopaths, all people (believers and unbelievers) know it’s wrong to murder another person. This doesn’t exist in the animal kingdom, which functions on instincts.
“their conscience being weak is defiled”
Their conscience is weak because the data set has recently changed and their confidence is affected. Doubt seeps in as a result, also, which is a normal part of reorientation to Truth.
Don’t Blame the Conscience
We mustn’t make a habit of blaming, and eventually attacking, another person’s conscience for simply doing its job. Rather, we ought to investigate the data setsaid conscience is dependent upon and challenge the data (false knowledge), not the conscience (which is a slave to it).
Don’t Fight Over Consciences
One of the most effective ways of diffusing emotional banter over right/wrong arguments is to objectively consider each party’s underlying knowledge and compare it to Holy Scripture.
Paul Defended His Conscience
The Jewish leaders were infuriated at the possibility that Paul maintained a clear conscience, having defected from their religion to “the Way”. This is possible for the person whose false knowledge is replaced with the divine.
“Both their mind and their conscience are defiled”
Here we have the connection between the mind (the keeper of knowledge) and the conscience (that which depends upon it). If the mind is defiled, the conscience follows.
Is 47:10b
Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded [perverted, warped] you.
READ YOUR BIBLE!!!